Food additives are components that are additional to product of agricultures as to preserve or improve the food's quality, flavor or texture. For food preservation, some additives have been used for millennia. Samples include salt, sugar, and sulphur dioxide.

Food additives can be made synthetically or from crops, cattles, minerals, and a combination of these. They are purposefully introduced to food to carry out specific technical functions that consumers frequently take for granted. There are thousands of food additives in use, and each one is intended to serve a specific purpose in enhancing the safety or appeal of food. Based on their purpose, the WHO and FAO divide food additives into three general categories.

Food additives should only be used when they are technologically necessary, do not deceive customers, and perform a specific technological function, such as maintaining food's nutritional value or improving food stability.